


Weaved Together

by MrAudioDrama



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Comfort, Hair Braiding, Idiots in Love, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Nureyev gets introspective while Juno braids his hair, Other, Sappy, mentions of nonverbal Juno, they kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:27:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26788939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrAudioDrama/pseuds/MrAudioDrama
Summary: “Can you sit still?” Juno gently moves Peter in front of him again, undoing the previous attempt at a braid. “If you want this to look good you need to, I don’t know, let me finish?”Peter huffs, crossing his arms, “Some of us have been bedridden for weeks, Juno. Now that i’ve regained the ability to move around, I’ve found I’m quite fond of it”-Juno braids an antsy thief's hair, while he thinks about love, and how much he loves Juno Steel.
Relationships: Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel
Comments: 21
Kudos: 99





	Weaved Together

“Can you sit still?” Juno gently moves Peter in front of him again, undoing the previous attempt at a braid. “If you want this to look good you need to, I don’t know, let me finish?”  
  
Peter huffs, crossing his arms, “Some of us have been bedridden for weeks, Juno. Now that i’ve regained the ability to move around, I’ve found I’m quite fond of it”   
  
Despite his protest, however, he leans into it when he feels Juno’s hands card through his hair again, straightening it out for their third attempt. The lady lets out a sardonic laugh at the behavior.   
  
“With that sort of response, I’d say you’re making me start over on _purpose_ .”   
  
“I am doing no such thing!”   
  
“Oh yeah?” Juno slides his hands in through the back of his hair, gently scratching. Peter can’t resist letting out a relaxed sigh, pushing his head back into Juno’s hands. “You’re like a cat, Nureyev.”   
  
Peter hadn’t realized his eyes slipped shut until Juno pulls his hands away and they slowly reopen, “You’re quick, sneaky, you always land on your feet,” he teases, “plus you lay on me and get grumpy if I don’t give you attention.”   
  
“Yes yes, darling,” Peter scowls, “I’m sure I’m exactly like those four legged creatures that spit up _hair._ ”   
  
“I don’t want to hear it! I find your hair in literally everything, including my _food_ .” Juno scoffs, shaking his head. “Now are you going to let me braid your hair, or are you determined to sweat to death on this island?”   
  
“Ruby has a working air conditioner.” Nureyev smiles jovially. Juno’s short chuckle was like music to his ears. He hadn’t realized it until they had reunited on the Carte Blanche, but he hadn’t heard Juno genuinely laugh even once in their two previous engagements.   
  
He remembers the first time as if it was only yesterday. All he had wanted was a cup of coffee, but he was still tired from memorizing the schematics for their next mission the night prior and the mug had slipped out of his hands like sand through cracked glass. The moment it hit the floor, he let out a litany of curses that he’s sure Rex Glass’ mother would have been positively ashamed of. The mug had completely shattered.   
  
The way Vespa had chewed him out was worth it for the way Juno had burst into a fit of laughter behind him. The sound had cut through the air and lit up Nureyev’s heart like fireworks. It was light and joyous, but still rough as Juno’s voice always was.   
  
“I’m sorry Ransom.” he’d wheezed out between breaths, “It’s just really funny.”   
  
Nureyev’s brain kick started. “It is _not!_ That was one of the best mugs on the ship!”   
  
“Babe you’re cussing like you’ve lost an arm!” He’d snickered, standing up and walking around the counter. Nureyev had merely pouted, crossing his arms and turning his face away.   
  
For this, Juno granted him a kiss to the cheek. “I’m sorry toots. How about I help you clean up this absolutely hilarious-- i mean unfortunate--accident, and then you can get your morning coffee and stop being such a grouch. For a kiss, I might even make it for you”   
  
Nureyev remembers fondly pretending to consider it, the warm feeling in his chest still lingered from hearing Juno laugh. He’d never admit it, but he’d hardly needed the coffee after that. Juno had brightened his mood enough that his typical morning lethargy was long gone.   
  
He comes back to himself when Juno incidentally snags a knot, causing Nureyev to yelp out in pain. “Ow! Juno you _brute!”_ _  
_ _  
_ “Shit! I’m sorry- I didn’t think it would knot that fast!” Juno curses quietly, gently removing his hand from the tangle. “Did I hurt you?”   
  
Nureyev’s heart sings. “Of course not darling, you just took me by surprise. Try not to do it again though... if you wouldn’t mind.”   
  
“Right.” He feels Juno’s hands delicately working apart the knot. When he’d first met the lady, ‘gentle’ had not come to mind. Neither had it when Juno nicked him with a plasma cutter, or crushed Cecil Kanagawa’s cybernetic arm, or even when they’d kissed. Not when he’d wrinkled up his nose at the name Dahlia Rose, or thrown doodles at him in anger, or when he lay in his lap bleeding from his eye after trying his damndest to keep Nureyev safe.   
  
Yet, above all things, this Juno he’s acquainted himself with on the Carte Blanche had chosen to be gentle with Peter Nureyev, of all people. He shows it unconventionally perhaps, maybe heaven unintentionally. But it appears in the way he holds Nureyev’s hand, in the way he whispers about love when he’s certain Nureyev is asleep, in his hugs and his kisses to the forehead. In his deep breaths to stave off the frustration as he braids an antsy thief’s hair.   
  
Juno runs the brush through his hair once more. “There we go, sorry Nureyev.”   
  
“It’s quite alright, darling.” Juno’s hands run through his hair again, ensuring there were no more snags. “I’m a grown man, I can handle one little knot.”   
  
“Sure sounded like it.” Nureyev can practically hear Juno’s eye roll, so he lets himself smile. Even his detective’s sarcasm made his heart feel afloat. There were times when Nureyev wanted to abandon everything. To forget about his debts and live a life hopping from place to place with Juno. Always one step ahead.   
  
But then he remembers how easily that dream was taken from them by Miasma. How they very easily could have met their end in that tomb. How if he had been one second slower, he might not have been able to save Juno. This isn’t the time to be entertaining fantasies, he needs to live in the moment like Mag taught him. Juno is with him right now, it doesn’t matter what the future holds.   
  
He wants to savor this. The feeling of Juno’s hands stroking through his hair, the sound of Juno’s deep breaths as he tries to concentrate. He knows Juno has that silly face on, his tongue caught between his teeth and his eyebrows furrowed together as he separates Nureyev’s hair at the top.   
  
“Do me a favor and stay still this time, huh?” Juno brushes away the strands with care, ensuring the two parts are perfectly separated. “I used to braid Rita’s hair all the time. I swear I know what i’m doing.”   
  
“I’ve never doubted that!” Nureyev laughs, “Believe me Juno, I’ve long since stopped underestimating you”   
  
“Oh, so that means you did before?” Juno gives a gentle tug to his hair in jest. “I’m going to dampen your hair a little, don’t tell Vespa. She’ll get on my back about wasting a ‘limited resource we need to survive’ or whatever.”   
  
Nureyev rolls his eyes fondly. “I’m in no mood to tattle tale Juno, nor am I entirely excited to have to side with Vespa, but we _should_ be more careful with our finite resources given we don’t know when the ship will be repaired enough to get us off this accursed island... or if it ever will be.”   
  
“Don’t be such a downer!” Juno huffs, “Jeez, and I thought _I_ was supposed to be the brooding grumpy one.”   
  
“Oh but what a heavy burden that would be to bear all on your lonesome, dearest heart.” He places a hand over his heart in a sweeping motion. “The things I do for my detective.”   
  
“Are you ever going to drop that nickname? I’m a legit criminal now you know! A bonafide law breaker!”   
  
“And yet, on our first mission the first thing you did was detect where Ms. Zolotovna was. You may be able to take the lady away from the detective’s office, but you cannot take the detective out of the lady.” He feels the soft touch of Juno’s hand guarding his face, and then the sound of water being sprayed on his hair.   
  
“Whatever.” Juno grumbles, Nureyev can nearly feel his blush from where Juno has seated him. “And if anyone should be blamed for the waste of water it’s you. This way it will be salvageable if you forget I need to tie your hair before you can move. Again.”   
  
“Oh do relax darling. It’s not as if you’ve dumped an entire gallon of water on my head. I’m sure she’ll never even notice.” Nureyev’s hair is fairly damp now, it feels nice and cool against his skin. The heat on this island was unforgiving, and it was doing horrors to his skin care routine.   
  
He could take the hit however, his complaining had earned him Juno’s help in a good portion of it. Juno would pull back his hair for him, would get him what had been left of his lotions after the crash, and held the mirror and talked with him while he eased the pressure in his chest that came with every subtle line he noticed etched into his face.   
  
Juno was the light in his darkness, the very spark that lit his fire. The only person that managed to lift the weight set on him by his debt, even if only for a moment. He was doing it now, the feeling of Juno’s hands in his hair allowed him the right to an easy smile, the occasional pleased sigh even.   
  
In this moment there was no debt to be concerned about, no imminent betrayal. There was only the feeling of his hair being pulled back and separated in three, and the sound of Juno quietly muttering to himself to make sure he keeps the steps straight.   
  
“If you think it’s not a big deal,” Juno huffs, gently starting to entwine the groups of hair, “then you won’t mind taking the blame when she tries to rip my head off, right?”   
  
Nureyev startles, he must’ve gotten distracted. He had a tendency towards that, getting stuck in his own head. It got him in trouble with the Captain on a fairly regular basis, but Juno was more than used to it by now, so he only chuckles. “I didn’t mean to startle you, babe.”   
  
“You didn’t Juno,” he smiles, “besides, what sort of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t protect you from Vespa’s well deserved wrath. Even so, it’s Captain Aurinko you really need to be worried about.”   
  
“And why’s that?” Juno’s voice was light, his hand stilled but Nureyev could tell there was no tension in them. He could feel Juno’s gaze, his eyes languid as they blink, full of adoration rather than annoyance. There is nothing Nureyev wouldn’t do to keep that eye on him forever.   
  
Well... there was one thing.   
  
“Vespa is angry once and lets it go, whereas Captain Aurinko will never let you forget it happened. Like some sort of... disappointed mother,” he hums, mourning the loss of Juno’s soft demeanor, shattered by his scoff.   
  
“She’s not my mother,” he grumbles, but his hands remain gentle as they begin pulling the sides of his hair back to join with the braid. He sighs, “No-- I know that’s not what you meant... sorry.”   
  
Nureyev feels his heart swell. Juno had come so far since he’d first met him, and the Carte Blanche had brought him even further. It amazed him, how Juno had hurt for so long and still managed to pull himself back up with the help of the people he cares about.   
  
How desperately he hopes he is one of those people, yet how certain he is that he is not. Just as he is certain he could never accomplish what Juno has, no matter how he wishes he could.   
  
Peter Nureyev knows himself better than anyone, unfortunately. The facade that Juno claims to have fallen in love with held none of the ugly, broken parts of him that he has locked away. Juno made him feel raw, exposed like no one else ever has, but that doesn’t change the beast inside. No matter what Juno says.   
  
“Oh Juno...” he whispers, “Lean close, I’d like to tell you something.”   
  
“But your hair!” protests Juno, “If you make me ruin all of this hard work I’ll make you do it yourself!” Despite that, however, he leans close enough for Peter to lean their heads together.   
  
“I love you, Juno Steel.” He smiles softly. “Don’t fret, you needn’t say it back. I just couldn’t go a moment longer without saying so, lest I let it consume me completely.”   
  
Juno was still, the hands that were so deftly pulling together his hair now shook. Nureyev feels bad for a moment. Perhaps this was too soon, perhaps Juno wasn’t ready.   
  
Perhaps he was a bad person for saying it when he knows all of this will end in his silent departure, leaving Juno to the same heartbreak he felt in that hotel room many moons ago.   
  
Juno doesn’t give him the opportunity to think about it too much, thankfully, instead pressing a kiss to his temple and sitting back. “I...”   
  
“It’s quite alright, Juno-” Nureyev’s skin tinges with blush, his own vulnerability washing over him in an embarrassing wave. He was right, this was too soon, he news to just file it away--   
  
“Just shut up for a second,” Juno says lightly, in that breathless way that tells Nureyev there’s no malice in his words. “Don’t give me an out. You-- you deserve to hear it. You deserve to hear it from me.”   
  
“He hears Juno take a long breath in, and blow it out in a low whistle, “Peter Nureyev,” he whispers, leaning forward and resting his head on the top of Nureyev’s. “I love you too.”   
  
Nureyev was a man who prided himself on being able to talk circles around his marks. On his ability to pull convincing, flowery words out of thin air. Yet, right now there are none he could use that would do justice to the way his heart beats out of his chest. No sonnet that could describe the way the blood rushed to his cheeks, no ballad for the butterflies in his stomach.   
  
“I love you so goddamn much, it’s all I can think about sometimes. It drives me cra--” Juno cuts himself off, he’d been watching his vocabulary more and more since the crash. Nureyev can’t tell, but he thinks Vespa appreciates it. Those sorts of of emotions were things Vespa only allowed Buddy to be privy to, but enough perception could see that she gave Juno the benefit of the doubt more often than not these days.   
  
“It drives me up the wall.” He corrects, “I’m gonna try to say it more often, honey.”   
  
Nureyev is overcome with the heat that rises to his skin at the affectionate tone with which Juno speaks. “Oh _darling_ .” He whispers. “I...”   
  
Whatever he was going to say next dissipates when Juno snags an individual hair and pulls it. The atmosphere shatters as Nureyev takes a sharp breath. “ _Ow_ . Dear. It has been a long time since I’ve allowed my hair to grow out like this. I would appreciate it if you let me keep it that way.”   
  
“Fuck, I’m so sorry Nureyev.” Juno lightly inspects the braid, pulling out the fallen strand.   
  
“Too emotional to pay attention to the task at hand, love?” Nureyev’s lips curl up into a smile, there was some level of satisfaction knowing that Juno could be vulnerable around him. In knowing that Juno, who had brushed him off time after time, now readily allowed himself to be unguarded in his presence.   
  
“Oh-- shut up Nureyev.” He pouts, pulling the last side bits of hair into the center. “I’ll show you too emotional!”   
  
“Oh my dove, please do!” Nureyev chuckles. “I think it’s charming.”   
  
If only there were enough words in Solar to truly encapsulate how Nureyev felt, but he finds when it comes to Juno, there seldom are.   
  
“Yeah, yeah.” Juno’s hands start to work faster, each group of hair being expertly weaved together. “Okay, Mr. Romance. Do me a favor and don’t move this time until I’m absolutely sure I’m finished.”   
  
“If I must, darling.” He heaves a dramatic sigh. “The things I do for love.”   
  
Juno rolls his eyes, and leans forward to give him a kiss on the cheek. “The things you do to keep your hair healthy.” He corrects. “I’m almost done, you’ve made it this far. What’s Buddy call that thing she uses to get me to do extra work while I’m doing chores? The submerged... the sinking...?”   
  
“The sunken cost fallacy, sweetheart.” Nureyev chuckles. “I suppose you have a point, though being able to spend more time with you is hardly something I would consider a loss.”   
  
“So you admit it! You’ve been messing me up on purpose!” Juno’s hands still and he lets out a shocked laugh. “Babe, if you want to spend time with me you don’t need to come up with a reason, i’m more than willing. I love you, Nureyev. We don’t need excuses to keep each other company.”   
  


The thief blushes. “I-- I merely--” he feels his reasoning fail him, unable to come up with a single word to refute the accusation. “Oh my, it seems i’ve been caught red handed! Take me away detective, for the crime of wanting to have my partner do my hair.”  
  
Juno laughs, light and adoring. “I’m serious, Nureyev, I don’t mind doing your hair. I think it’s gorgeous, and I don’t know how the hell you’ve managed to keep it so soft through all of this but it feels _amazing._ But the next time you want to be with me, you can just come find me. I like hanging out with you.” He tenderly starts to add a hairband to the end of the braid. “Alright, Nureyev. Up you get, go take a look in the mirror.”   
  
He holds his hands out for Nureyev to use as leverage, standing swiftly behind him. “I did a pretty damn good job, if I do say so myself.”   
  
Nureyev keeps hold of the lady’s hands as he turns towards the mirror, and he lets out an awed breath. Not a single strand was out of place, his hair was weaved together with near expert precision. “My, Juno, why didn’t you tell me you were a hairdresser?”   
  
Nureyev makes eye contact with the dame in the mirror just as he rolls his eyes, “I’m not a _hairdresser_ , sweets. Rita just thought doing each other’s hair was the best way to bond when she talked me into lady’s nights.”   
  
“Is she as proficient as you?” He gently guides Juno in front of him, and wraps his arms around the lady, “Perhaps I will ask her to do my hair sometime, if this was any indication.”   
  
Juno huffs a laugh, resting his hands on Nureyev’s arms as he begins swaying them back and forth. “She’s better than I am, until she gets salmon dust in your hair that is. It took me a week to get all of it out, so make sure she washes her hands first.”   
  
Nureyev nods, pressing a kiss into Juno’s hair. “I’ll take that under consideration, dear.” He moves his hands up and gives Juno’s shoulders a delicate squeeze, “Let’s clean up, shall we? I would hate to make your room look anything like mine.”   
  
They separate slowly, both unwilling to be the one to break contact. Juno pulls up Nureyev’s hand and gives it a light kiss. “I appreciate the sentiment, honey, but I’ll do it. You can clean in my room if and when you let me and Buddy teach you how to organize.”   
  
He pulls his hand away and scoffs. “I do not need to _learn_ how to _organize._ ”   
  
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Nureyev. I think it’s good that you have enough stuff of your own to make a mess with.” He moves towards the hair supplies on the bed. “I just think it would be nice if you let me help you take care of those things, in the way that works best for you.”   
  
“You’re very sweet, Juno.” Nureyev crosses his arms, watching Juno place the comb brush, and hair ties in a lidless box. “But you needn’t worry about me.”   
  
“I always worry about you, Peter,” he says seriously, “even when we were apart I was worried about you. I’m not about to stop now.”   
  
Juno bends down and picks up the spray bottle, the mission now was to be able to get the water back without anyone having noticed it was gone. “Speaking of, why don’t you cut me a deal.” The lady glances over to him. “If I promise to come and find you when I’m feeling lonely, or when I want to be with you, then you promise to do the same. No more ruining my hard work several times over just to keep me from leaving.”   
  
Nureyev smiles fondly. “Oh but _Juno_ , then we’d never be apart!”   
  
He laughs when he feels water from the spray bottle land on his skin, “You dork.” His attacker chuckles, grabbing Nureyev’s hand and pulling him closer. “You know you’re adorable, right?”   
  
Nureyev pretends to think. “Oh, I don’t know, love, I think you’ll have to tell me some more.”   
  
They smile widely, going quiet for a moment, staring into eachothers eyes with adoration. Nureyev is so caught up in the happiness of the moment that he forgets about his debt, about leaving. He wants to feel like this forever, he want to be with Juno _forever_ . That’s the future he wants to consider.   
  
And then they’re kissing, and it’s perfect. It’s soft, and passionate in all the right ways. Juno’s hand comes to rest on the back of his neck, his thumb gently stroking up and down.   
  
When it’s over they stay pressed together, their eyes sparkle with infatuation. “I love you, Juno,” he whispers.   
  
Without hesitation, Juno smiles. “I love you too”   
  
They wrap their arms around each other, Nureyev’s head resting atop Juno’s. How is he meant to leave this? He thinks, perhaps, he may need to reconsider. The mere thought of hurting Juno seemed incomprehensible.   
  
The embrace ends after a few minutes. “Okay, let's go put this back.” Juno waves the spray bottle in the air. “Even if I think it’s stupid to hoard it when there’s a freshwater river in the forest. It’s still important to Vespa, or something.”   
  
“Oh how sweet of you, beloved” Nureyev coos, taking Juno’s hand in his. “Let us go!”   
  
It’s darker out in the hall, most of the lights had busted in the crash, and there were no windows to keep it bright. Juno nods along and listens as Nureyev explained what the difference was between his different types of knives. Nureyev found Juno liked to listen to him talk, he had fond memories of Juno laying his head in his lap as Nureyev explained what details help him memorize floor plans.   
  
When they’d first started talking again, Juno exclusively went to Rita on days he found himself nonverbal, but lately he’d been splitting his time between the two of them. He trusted them both not to ask him to speak, to talk to him and not get upset when he can’t offer commentary. It warmed Nureyev’s heart that he was trusted in that way, that he could be that person for Juno.   
  
Right now, however, Juno was offering commentary in the form of trying to translate the variations of knives to the variations of blasters he was familiar with. “Juno they’re entirely different things.”   
  
“They are not!” He protests, his voice getting higher as Nureyev noticed it always did when he was challenged by those he cares about. “They’re both weapons!”   
  
“If you say so Juno.” Nureyev shakes his head, “As long as it makes sense to you.”   
  
The lady turns his head away stubbornly. “It _does._ ”   
  
The pair bickers lightheartedly down the hallways, until a shout from behind makes them still. “Steel! That better not be water from the reserve in that spray bottle!”   
  
Juno and Nureyev look at each other for a moment, and then grin. “Run!”   
  
Nureyev laughs as they charge away.   
  
He never wants this to end.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Twitter @MrAudioDrama!!
> 
> Kudos and comments mean the world to me! Please consider leaving one!


End file.
